The Fine Line Between Bravery And Idiocy
by xxfckitskayleexx
Summary: The chasm reminds us that there is a fine line between bravery and idiocy. For some, it takes trial and error to understand this concept. Others don't get that chance to learn from their mistakes. In our lifestyle, one mistake can end it all. But would you rather take the chance, or live a life of cowardice with the nagging thoughts of what could have happened if you had?


_My first attempt at a Divergent fanfiction! I may continue it, if you guys find it interesting. Of course, depending on how well it progresses, I may or may not add smut eventually. We'll see how it turns out. I hope you guys like it!_

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The thunder of footsteps and loud yells wakes me up, as it often does.

Funny, how quickly one can become accustomed to this lifestyle. I ponder it as I sit up, reaching for my jacket. My muscles ache in a dull throb from intense training. It's always easy to ignore it once I get up and moving. At least, that's what I tell myself as I lean forward to slid my shoes on and tie the laces.

My name is Tris Prior, and I am a transfer initiate to Dauntless. I've left everything behind in my past faction, Abnegation. They devote their entire lives to a simple lifestyle of selflessness. However, I am selfish. I never belonged there.

I am Divergent.

The word still echoes in the back of my mind, despite how often I try to put it aside. But today, I have something to keep my mind off of the strange and forbidden topic

Today is the day that Christina, Will, and I plan to visit the ferris wheel. A few drinks too many last night had resulted in an innocent game of truth or dare. Then bets were made. Ultimately, they wanted me to climb to the top of the ferris wheel. Thoughts of my last climb invade my mind. It had only occurred a few nights ago.

Cool fingers still ghosted over the bare skin of my hip.

But I have to push the thoughts aside and focus.

"What's the rush, Stiff?"

I don't even have to spare the glance over my shoulder to recognize the sadistic drawl of Peter's voice.

"Go bother somebody else, Peter," I say as I stand, pulling my jacket on. It covers my bare arms and I zip it to my throat.

Peter almost looks annoyed at my lack of reaction as I walk to the mirror. He steps forward as I comb my fingers through my blonde hair.

"Well, aren't you just sweet as rusty nails this fine morning," he says with bitter sarcasm.

I merely ignore him and pull my hair back in a high ponytail. I'm shocked that it's grown so much. The bottom now brushes between my shoulder blades. Was it always this long? It was hard to remember. It had been in a bun most of the time.

The sudden iron grip on my arm jolts me out of though and sends my reflexes into action I whirl around. He doesn't flinch or take the warning as a sign to back off. Instead, it's a challenge. His grip tightens and I feel the cold wall behind my back. The shove send prickles of pain through my sore body, but I show no sign of it. Or, at least I don't think I do. I try not to.

"Careful, Stiff. You just might end up at the bottom of the chasm if you get too comfortable being ranked fifth." He's too close; he's mere inches from my face. His breath is warm and reeks with the remnants of lies and breakfast.

I simply grimace at the scent and narrow my eyes into a scowl. My hands come up to shove him back harshly, but the vice like grip only tightens. My sore muscles painfully protest against it. I size myself up despite the ache that settles in, my eyes meeting his in a challenging stare.

"What do you want, Peter?" My voice is even yet sharp enough to make it into a demanding statement. It shocks me when it echoes in the silent room.

For some reason, I am not scared of the man before me. He towers over me by a head and is toned with muscle. It was proven in our duel less than a week ago.

The duel that had almost left me factionless.

But I am not scared. I am stronger now. I have survived the first part of initiation. I am prepared for what lies ahead when mental training begins tomorrow.

"I want to know just what it is you're playing at. We can all see that something's going on between you and Four. What, are you sleeping with him to stay in this game?"

His crude words bring red hot anger out of the pit of my stomach. It rises to my face in a hot burn, and undoubtedly shows in my eyes. I suddenly lurch forward and bring my knee up as hard as I possibly can. However, I feel little remorse as he doubles over with a heavy grunt, releasing my arm from the painful grip.

I want to see him bleed. I want to see him wail like Edward did, lying helpless on the cement floor with the butter knife protruding from his eye.

Before he can retaliate, my fist slams into his ear, sending him to the floor. He looks up at me with livid yet painful eyes as he gets to his feet. I am already beginning my trek to the door at a brisk pace.

"Stiff."

The familiar term associated with the life I had left behind fuels my rage like gasoline on a flame. I contain it behind a set jaw as I turn. He meets my eyes and manages a smirk through obvious discomfort. His voice is low and even.

"Watch your back."

When I enter the dining hall, I find Christina and Will sitting at our usual table. Their low chatter dies away as Christina's eyes find mine. The smile that appears on her face, combined with the excitement of the dare devil stunt I was going to attempt, helped to smolder the rage that had built up. I find it a bit easier to push the thoughts away for the time being.

"It's about time you decided to come out. I was beginning to think that you had chickened out," Christina says.

I simply raise an eyebrow as I reach for a roll in the center of the table. Will's playful grin widened as well as he nudged her side.

"You know, I was too. You were pretty.. daring last night. Not the least bit shameful in telling Uriah that you could climb that ferris wheel one handed."

I wince at the reminder of my behavior the night before. It was fairly obvious I had downed a drink too many in celebration to having passed the first part of initiation. Of course, this was before Edward's blood curdling screams woke us all from our slumber that night.

Before Peter and Drew had taken out the opponent who would have gotten Drew eliminated, and stood between Peter and the top ranking.

The echoing screams still sound in the back of my mind as I take a bite from the roll. I toss it over to Christina. As she catches it and helps herself to a bite, I look over at Will.

"I'm not going to chicken out that easily," I say. "How is Edward doing?"

The question everyone seems to be avoiding.

Will's hand comes up to scratch the back of his head and he looks away. Christina tosses the roll back to me and speaks up to answer my question.

"He couldn't continue initiation, so he left. Myra basically refused to continue without him and left with him. They're factionless now."

Factionless. The word stings almost physically when she says it like that. To have been ranked number one and suddenly be left without sight in one eye, and have your entire purpose of living robbed of you because of it.

I almost drop the roll in disbelief. My jaw drops slightly as I sit in silence for several long moments.

I'm not sure why it surprises me like it does. Nobody could continue such strenuous training and live the Dauntless lifestyle without a functioning eye. Common sense nagged at me that he wasn't going to make it.

But I had hoped that he would pull through. Just so that Peter would have to face the result of his cowardice every day. So he would have to look his superior in the eye and feel true guilt for what he had done out of fear and sheer greed. I wanted to see Edward return to the training room and outrank Peter yet again. Perhaps his body washing up in the chasm mysteriously.

It sickens me so much that I must set the roll aside and stand.

I should feel angry. I should want to avenge Edward. I should tell Four.

But I don't. Everyone already knows exactly who did it. And, I wish I could say it surprises me, nobody sees a thing wrong with it.

Nobody is brave enough to act out against it.

Oh, how ironic it is.

"So now there's seven of us." I say.

Christina manages a faint smile that I can tell is forced. Will nods. The two stand as well, and Christina jerks her head up to the glass building above our heads. I look up and realize the morning sun is beginning to brighten. I must have slept in a bit longer than I had thought. Just how long had I been caught up with Peter? When I look back down, her smile has become more believable.

"We better hurry unless we want to miss the train."

I find myself smiling as well and Will laughs. Together, we all beginning running up the dirt paths that circle the Pit, racing and pushing other members aside in our rush. Sometimes, it just feels better to smile and accept what's happened. So I do just that.

As the train begins to speed into the curve leading towards the northern part of the city, I can't help but wipe my hands on my jeans. The excitement of what I had so foolishly promised my friends I would succeed in doing was beginning to dawn on me. It was something I knew Four would mercilessly chastise me about the minute he caught wind of it.

But as I look out the door at the faint structure of the ferris wheel on the horizon, I know that I don't care. In this moment, the excitement returns stronger than ever. I wipe my hands on my pant legs again.

"You know you're insane, right?"

I look over at Christina. She sits on the other side of the train car, extending a hand to Will. He pulls her up as we begin to approach the ferris wheel. I smile at her and shrug.

"Insane? No. Dauntless? Of course."

My statement must have been amusing, because Will laughs and Christina smiles. I find myself smiling as well when I realize just how crazy I sound. I pull myself to my feet and grip the railing on the outside of the train. The ferris wheel is growing as we near the bridge that crosses the marsh. I often wonder what it had been like all that time ago, when it was a river. It's hard to even imagine that a body of water could be that large.

"I suppose we'll give you the honor of jumping first, Dauntless," Christina says.

I laugh at her teasing. In Abnegation, things like this were not permitted. What I was doing was selfish. I was doing this for both my pride and the sheer adrenaline rush of living on this edge. The edge of knowing my life is in my own hands. The edge that wouldn't exist if I had chose any other faction.

And at times like this, where I back away from the door of the train car and watch the landscape whiz by in a blur, I know I belong here. I am Dauntless.

I run forward with a sudden burst of speed, and leap the minute my feet reach the edge of the car. There is an instant of weightlessness before the jarring pain prickles up my shins. I jog it off to catch my balance, glancing over my shoulder. Christina is jogging out her landing as well, and Will is jumping off. The two are never far behind the other.

After we regain our balance and the train is little more than a receding dot on the horizon, we begin walking across the bridge. It's a short walk to the ferris wheel.

"So you say you climbed this before?"

I look over at Will and shrug.

"Never this high. I made it a little ways past the middle point," I say. I lift a hand to point at the large circle in the center, below which is the platform that was a good 100 feet above the ground. At that point, the ladder ended and I was left to climb up using the support bars of the old structure.

Christina let out a low whistle and Will cringed. My step didn't falter as I continued towards the bridge. A minute or two later, we stand in the shadow of the ferris wheel and Christina seems a bit anxious. But her grin is wide and her hands find her hips as she sizes up the structure.

"You know if you fall, you're gonna be dead before you hit the ground."

"Of course."

We exchange a look over mutual smiles. Will doesn't seem quite as convinced.

"You can always chicken out and nobody has to know," he says.

I raise an eyebrow as I grip the ladder in both hands and hoist myself up onto the third rung.

"What makes you think I don't want to?"

And with that, I begin climbing.


End file.
